São Paulo residents face earlier heart attacks, study finds

A study conducted by the cardiology department of Rede D’Or reveals that patients in São Paulo experience myocardial infarction (heart attacks) at a significantly younger age than in other Brazilian states. The research, which analyzed 4,921 patients across 59 hospital units in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Distrito Federal, Minas Gerais, and Pernambuco, found the average age of patients in São Paulo to be 58 years.

This represents a notable difference compared to other regions; for instance, the average age was 62 in Rio de Janeiro, 67 in the Distrito Federal, and up to 70 in Pernambuco. While Rio de Janeiro recorded the highest total number of confirmed cases (764), São Paulo recorded 572.

Medical experts, including cardiologist Mariana Mancilha, suggest that the younger onset in São Paulo may be multifactorial. Key risk factors identified include psychosocial stress, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Chronic stress is specifically noted for its ability to promote neuro-hormonal, metabolic, and inflammatory changes that accelerate atherosclerosis.